Sr. Ilia Delio on AI, Evolution, and Who We’re Becoming

Sr. Ilia Delio, OSF, joins Peter and Mercedes for a conversation that weaves theology, science, and technology into a hopeful and challenging vision for the future. Drawing on Teilhard de Chardin’s evolutionary theology, she invites us to see AI not merely as a tool but as part of the unfolding of creation itself. Together, they explore what it means to become more whole, more relational, and more deeply rooted in divine love in an age shaped by artificial intelligence.Topics Covered:AI as human augmentation and biological extensionThe theology of Teilhard de Chardin and cosmic evolutionThe Adamic myth and how it influences modern perspectives on technologyAI, collective consciousness, and global interconnectednessThe ethical implications of AI in a capitalist systemDefining personhood in an evolutionary worldviewMoving from categorical to networked thinking in younger generationsDeveloping spiritual practices alongside technological advancementLiving from our God-centered being while engaging AIResources Mentioned:Ilia Delio, Re-enchanting the EarthIlia Delio, Integral Ecology in an Age of AITeilhard de ChardinDavid Noble, The Religion of Technology Catherine Hales, How We Became PosthumanErich Jantsch, The Self-Organizing Universe: Scientific and Human Implications of the Emerging Paradigm of Evolution (00:08) - Does AI enhance or diminish face-to-face connection? (00:17) - Cultivating a mindset that feels at home with AI (00:34) - Teilhard: Humanity has a “God problem” with AI (00:35) - David Noble: AI is enhancing human function and capacity (00:42) - Peter Singer: AI might help us recover broader moral thinking (00:44) - Mercedes: Complexity is driving today’s evolution (00:50) - Teilhard: Love is at the heart of all cosmic life (00:55) - What are we living into in this moment of AI development? (00:56) - A critique of AI based on the social media era (00:56) - Reflections from the Episcopal Church’s AI ethics task force